Special exception to the First Amendment for "if you want to be a politics reporter you gotta take a class or two in public policy first"

I am pretty sure a lobotomy is required before you can work politics for a major newspaper. There have been good reporters with deep understanding that as soon as they land a high profile job, revert to simpletons

Disagree. A lot of them have taken a class or two in public policy. The real problem is that way too many of them never studied anything *besides* covering politics and policy. If they'd mastered almost any other subject with direct policy implications, their attitude might be different, though.